work 1 of 2

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as in to serve
to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to perform
to produce a desired effect this headache remedy takes half an hour to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of show me how to work the machine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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work

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noun

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as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in factory
works plural a building or set of buildings for the manufacturing of goods a glass works where high quality glassware is made

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun work contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of work are drudgery, grind, labor, toil, and travail. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

In what contexts can drudgery take the place of work?

The meanings of drudgery and work largely overlap; however, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than work?

The synonyms grind and work are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When could labor be used to replace work?

The words labor and work are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than work?

The words toil and work can be used in similar contexts, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When is it sensible to use travail instead of work?

Although the words travail and work have much in common, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of work
Verb
Indeed, Xie and his team are already working on it. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 May 2025 And here’s the kicker: Walmart’s price shift is working. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 19 May 2025
Noun
Along with Thompson’s work for Axios, the most detailed report on Biden’s frailty and memory lapses came in June 2024 from Wall Street Journal reporters Siobhan Hughes and Annie Linskey. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025 High calcium levels can affect how fast your heart beats and how well other heart medications work. Health, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
  • Rodriguez has been charged by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, the district attorney's office said.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • Over the multi-day event, tornadoes touched down in Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, and Oklahoma and caused over 20 fatalities.
    Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • Since the series tries to spotlight so many people in the Ironwood community, the audience is often pulled in several directions when the focus could have stayed squarely on the twins, the quest to repair Christian’s car and solving the mystery of his disappearance.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 May 2025
  • Instead, Kit and Sam use their knowledge of the animal kingdom to solve problems in different animal communities.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, a close friend—formerly —serves as the operating partner, managing the day-to-day logistics.
    Kristen Philipkoski, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • This requirement effectively limits poll worker eligibility to U.S. citizens and excludes most noncitizens, with a few exceptions, such as high school students serving as student poll workers under supervision.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • This has forced the library system to pay a contractor $1,500 per month to power-wash the area outside the branch twice a week during the morning hours after previously relying on in-house personnel to perform the task.
    Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2025
  • Irsay was a musician himself, as the lead vocalist and frontman of the Jim Irsay Band, which performed shows across the country with guest performers including John Mellencamp and Ann Wilson.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • Derek Jeter gets his 2,000th career hit, becoming the eighth player in Yankees history to reach the milestone. 2008 — Chase Utley tied the National League lead with his 16th homer and drove in six runs as Philadelphia routed Colorado 20-5.
    Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
  • Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • Law enforcement doesn’t operate this way, according to the sheriff’s office.
    Wayne Ford, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • In recent years, charter schools have proven popular with parents both in major cities and in rural areas, and their numbers would surely have grown if churches or religious groups were free to operate these schools.
    David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • Rob Crossan January 17, 2025 Marketed as a luxury tourist destination, the Maldives struggles with the legacy of an authoritarian government and the existential threat of climate change.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 May 2025
  • While many companies have struggled to define their policies, bouncing between strict return-to-office mandates and hybrid compromises, Logitech has taken a different path.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Berry was 14 when a classmate used an AI app to attach a nude body to an Instagram photo of her face, before circulating it on social media.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 May 2025
  • Educators will have canoes and kayaks, paddles and life jackets to use and will offer instruction.
    Flip Putthoff, Arkansas Online, 20 May 2025

Cite this Entry

“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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